


A French Kiss (Except Not)

by orphan_account



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-06
Updated: 2019-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:27:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21697144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Virgil’s falling behind on French, and he needs all the help he can get. Thankfully, his friend Roman is able to help him study the language of love for the night. However, as the night progresses, that won’t be the only sign of romance.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders
Comments: 13
Kudos: 59
Collections: Sanders Sides Secret Santa 2019





	A French Kiss (Except Not)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HetaCon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HetaCon/gifts).

> This is the Sanders Sides Secret Santa submission for Tumblr user ‘hetacon’! My first time writing romance, admittedly, but I’m proud for what I’ve done! I hope you are too.

Virgil looked at the large pile on his desk. Every week, Mr. Rittson would give him some French homework to do - translate these words, say this, write that. Since French wasn’t his priority, Virgil had elected to just skim over it and do the bare minimum. He did fine in class, and his grades were acceptable, so why should he worry? 

Then he started doing the very unfortunate act of  _ slipping.  _

The amount of work piling up, for both French and other subjects, was becoming too much to bear. Social studies was alright, English was easy peasy, and even subjects like Maths and Science he could just ask Dad to help with. French, though? He can translate “Il est interdit de bavarder en classe!”  _ (‘It’s prohibited to talk in class’ _ ,  _ I think? It’s very dramatic…)  _ only because Mr. Rittson would say it so often, but other than that the information would just fall out of his brain once he submitted his homework. Virgil knows he should get off his ass and actually work, but honestly, the fact that he can remember Roman’s ramblings about Heathers but  _ not  _ necessary French so he could actually pass the damn class - 

Wait. 

_ Roman. _

Just as the thought popped into his head, Virgil dashed to get his phone and texted Roman.

_ Hey dude can we study at my house _

_ Study, huh? ;) _

_ Fuck off I mean it _

_ I’m behind on French and if I don’t get my shit together I’m gonna fail _

_ Any reason why you can’t do it yourself? Or why Logan can’t help you? _

_ Don’t call my dad Logan wtf _

_ Also maybe I can help you with English or something _

_ For someone with such  _ ~impeccable vocabulary~  _ you suck major ass at it _

_ lmao okay fine _

_ I’ll be there at around 6  _

It was currently 5:47 and Roman lived 30 minutes away. It had also started to rain. God help him.

—

Roman showed up late, as expected, soaking wet from the rain, but bought some stuff for them from home. There were the usual things (snacks, video games, etc.), but he had also brought some practical homework things like pens and a notebook.  _ Honestly _ , Virgil thought,  _ how come he always asks to borrow a pen when he has multiple ones (and in different colours, too?!) from home? _

Nonetheless, Roman had come prepared, which Virgil hadn’t actually expected. It was actually pretty nice - maybe Roman can actually organise.

“So,” Roman started, dumping his stuff on the bed, “I have an idea.” 

“Shocker.” mocked Virgil.

“No, seriously. I believe that a good way to remember something is to associate said something with a positive idea. Sort of like Pavlov’s dog or something?”

“I’m surprised you remember the name.”

“Don’t be rude. Anyway, I was thinking for your French that for, let’s say, every 5 or so words you can remember, I can…” he trails off, and a smirk falls on his face. “... do something.”

Virgil scoffs. “That’s pretty vague. What if I dared you to, oh I don’t know, ask Remus to scale the school?” 

“Here’s the thing,  _ my chemically imbalanced romance _ ,” Roman leaned his head towards Virgil. “I think you know what I mean.”

Virgil blushes. “Jesus, personal space much?” He attempts to snarl, trying to ignore his warming face. 

Roman cackled before making a face in an effort to mock innocence, leaning back to lie on Virgil's bed. “Of course, we don’t have to do  _ that _ , but I thought that if we were going to revise...” he pauses, checks to make sure he can hold Virgil’s hand, and interlaces his fingers with the other. “...I want to at least make it fun.” 

Virgil considers, and maybe it’s just the presence of Roman’s hand with his, but nods and agrees. “Okay. We can do something like that.”

The boys agree that, if Virgil can remember 3 words, then Virgil could have some chocolate that Roman bought from home. Then, for every 5 words, Roman could press a small kiss to Virgil’s face. If Virgil was to actually construct a sentence that made sense-

They settled, and Virgil quickly skimmed over the words on the homework sheet he was given. He looked over them a couple of times, and tried to ingrain them in his head, before giving the sheet to Roman.

“Okay, so what are you studying in French first of all?” Asked Roman, briefly looking over the words that Virgil gave him.

“World issues, I think? Stuff like homelessness, climate change, et cetera. That, and just basic connectives and stuff.”

“Okay, looks good. So, should I ask what a French word means or should you try to remember from the top of your head?”

“Uh, read the words first I think, then maybe I could try to remember?”

“Sounds good to me.” Roman looks at the sheet, and chooses the words that he believes Virgil could get. “Alright, it was a dark and stormy knight, what’s  _ le change-mint climate-ique _ ?” 

Virgil snickers. “Jesus, dude, your accent is horseshit. The only reason I know it’s  _ climate change  _ is because your accent gave it away.”

Roman rolls his eyes. “Well, excuse me, princess. I’m the one taking Spanish here, how the Hell should I know what a Frenchman sounds like?” He asks with faux offence. 

“Okay, another one.”

“How about… _ l’inond-a-tion _ ?”

_ Shit. The accent still sucks, but it doesn’t even sound like anything in English. Okay, okay, think, think… _

“Uhhh…”

Virgil’s focus started to drift, focusing on the tipper-tapper of the rain. The warm ventilation makes Virgil appreciate that at least he didn’t have to go to Roman’s to revise.

Hold on. Rain. Water. That sounds like something on the right track. Okay,  _ l’inondation _ , that’s something to do with water. As the rain grew heavier, Virgil grew closer and closer to figuring it out, until quite suddenly-

“ _ Flood! _ ” Exclaims Virgi, snapping his fingers. “That’s what it is, right?  _ Flood _ ?”

Roman looks at the sheet, and nods. “Yep, that’s it. Okay, if you get this right, maybe you can have a… Reese’s?”

“Sure.” 

“Alrighty then.  _ Le sac en plast-ique?”  _

“ _ Plastic bag _ , I think?”

Roman reaches into his bag, and brings out a packet of Reese’s. “Ding ding ding! That’s correct, Hot Topic.” Roman opens the packet, and gently throws the chocolate at Virgil. 

Throughout the night, Virgil got some words like  _ rouler  _ and  _ la pluie  _ right, but forgetting  _ le réchauffement de la Terre  _ cost him a peck on the cheek. Nonetheless, the boys ate some sweets, gave some kisses, and hopefully helped Virgil actually remember words, God damnit. Virgil, however, never tried to construct a sentence. As the time struck 10:56PM, Roman thought it was high time to ask.

“Virgil,” Roman started, after giving Virgil a Hershey’s, “I understand if you don’t want to, but maybe you should try…”  _ Why was this hard to ask? _ “... saying something? In French? That isn’t just individual words?” 

Virgil eyed him at first, confused; then he remembered. “Oh!” He stammered, face suddenly flush. “Well, I, uhh…”  _ shit. Well, okay. _ Virgil hadn’t actually expected Roman to ask, especially so suddenly. If he were honest, he just thought they were both messing about. He doesn’t even know what they were agreeing upon when talking about what he’d do  _ after  _ constructing the sentence, they were both too flustered at that moment to the point of accidental vagueness. 

Then again, the only way to get started is to stop talking and start doing, like the Mickey Mouse man said. Jesus, Roman had started to influence him. 

“... I guess there’s no hurt in trying.” Virgil finally mumbled. 

Roman’s face went red, and sat there waiting for Virgil. 

“Okay, I’m guessing I’ll just say something regarding… world issues? Or natural disasters or something?” Virgil asked, seemingly prolonging the actual task.

“Yep, sounds good,” Replied Roman, probably doing the same. They probably should’ve talked about this previously rather than just being equally awkward messes, huh?

“Okay, then. So, how about…” Virgil muttered, going through his head trying to find a simple phrase, maybe adding a connective or something. But he doesn’t want to try too hard, both because of effort and because trying too hard was a Roman’s job. 

“...Tout le monde pense que la pluie dans mon la ville est trés mal, mais j’aime le bruit contre le toit.” Virgil said at last, French accent surprisingly convincing, at least for a 15 year old. “Or, ‘everyone thinks that the rain in my town is very bad, but I like the noise against the roof’. I think. I’m still not too sure, honestly.” Virgil babbled on, trying not to focus at Roman’s face.

They both stayed silent for a moment. What were they supposed to do now? 

“Hey, um, Virgil?” Roman asked, rubbing the back of his neck, visibly trying to calm his nerves. “Did we… ever actually agree on what to do? Because, if I remember correctly, then there’s something I need to tell you.” 

Virgil, still refusing to look at his face, nodded. “Yeah, uh, our conversation about that was quite short. And, to be honest, I may need to say something too.” 

“Okay, how about we say it… together? Or something?”

“Um, yeah. That… that might work.”

“Alright then, then in 3,2,1…”

“ _ I’ve never actually kissed anyone! _ ” Both boys declared loudly, and just as they finished a strike of thunder can be heard from outside.

The two looked at each other, eyes wide in disbelief. 

And they laughed.

“Holy…” Virgil snickered, almost snorting unable to stop himself. “Holy  _ shit _ , I can’t believe-!” 

”The-“ Roman started, having to stop himself and calm himself. “The  _ thunder _ , the drama of it all! It’s just-“ Roman giggled, holding his stomach. “It’s just too perfect!”

As they settled, they had to lie there for a moment, collecting themselves. 

“So,” Virgil started. “How does kissing actually work?”

Roman chortled. “Fuck if I know, honestly. I’ve read books and seen plays, but it’s still confusing to me. It’s just lips smashing together.”

“How about we smash our lips together, then?”

Roman sat up. “What did I just say about not knowing!” Virgil chuckled a bit before sitting up as well, fidgeting a bit. “And? It could be good practice. If nothing else, for your musicals you keep participating in.” He sat closer to Roman. “I’m surprised you haven’t even gotten the opportunity yet, honestly.”

They sat together, faces nearly touching.  _ Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit. Calm down, dude, calm down. _

“So, do we just… press our lips together?” Virgil asked. “This may surprise you, but I’m not in the mood for French kissing, despite the last hour.” Roman smiled, cupping Virgil’s face. “I- Yeah. That sounds- that sounds fine.” 

Pressing both their lips together, they were, admittedly, expecting something. Roman was expecting the spark in his chest, the buzz that screamed at him ‘He’s the one! He’s the one!’, something big and grand and dramatic. Virgil was expecting the arms to grip around him protectively, a triumphant moment because God, he knows what it feels like now.

As they parted, they looked at each other. The kiss was nice, but it was also… wet. They didn’t even ‘battle for dominance’ like in those fanfics. It was just two faces smushed together. 

“Hmm.” They both hummed. “Again?” Asked Roman.

“Again.” Replied Virgil.

It took a few times (because, think about it, what were you expecting from 15 year old boys who only barely know what a hickey is?), but eventually their lips formed together that they could just  _ feel  _ their hearts pound. 5th time’s the charm, as they say.

With their soft lips against each other’s, it was absolutely  _ nerve-wracking  _ to say the least.  _ What if I messed it up?  _ Virgil thought _ . Where do I put my hands? _ Wondered Roman.

Even then, the rain against the windows outside, the warm unsteady breath against each other and the physical presence towards one another was enough to calm them both down and just live in the moment. With Roman’s arms around Virgil’s waist, it was actually pretty close to- 

“Virgil, I am aware that you and Roman are studying, but I have to ask what you two want for dinn - oh.” Logan said as he looked up from the list of groceries he had written down.

Virgil immediately separated himself from Roman, face for the umpteenth time flushing furiously. “DAD, WHAT THE HELL!” He yelled, voice cracking a bit. “Language.” Remarked Logan.

“Dad, can’t you see I’m busy?!”

“Not busy studying, though.” 

Virgil’s face deepened a darker shade of red, feeling as if he’d just die from embarrassment. “Just - I don’t know! We’ll say later!” Logan shrugged, content with his not-answer. “Well, sorry for disturbing you two then.” He said, then closed the door behind him.

Roman’s face settled with his trademark smirked, seemingly relishing Virgil’s embarrassment. “Well, should we get back to studying then?” Virgil separated fully from Roman, a bit too eager for studying. “Yeah, sure,” he started, reaching for the rest of the thankfully short amount of French homework. “This doesn’t mean you get to be a smart-ass about it just because Dad acknowledges our - “ 

He stopped, short on finishing his sentence, and looked at Roman. “We’re… together, right?” Roman snickered. “Nah dude, just two bros kissing platonically with no romantic implications. No homo.” He said sarcastically. Virgil looked away, groaning with no serious ill intent. “After we finish the French, I’ll help you with your English then, right?” 

“That was the deal.” Roman checked his phone. “Also, it’s getting pretty late. Mind an impromptu sleepover?” He asked.

“I’m sure Dad wouldn’t mind.” Virgil murmured, still red in the face about a couple of minutes ago.

As the boys studied together, the atmosphere of the room changed - with the thunder from outside a contrast to Virgil’s cosy room, the contentedness was impossible to ignore; and with the two growing tired after revising Romeo and Juliet and Roman offering to sleep on the floor, the night had gone better than hoped.

—

Roman awoke first, just near Virgil’s bed, and got up from his room to grab whatever breakfast foods he’d think suitable. He spotted Virgil’s Dad on the kitchen table, drinking a cup of coffee and reading a scientific paper of sorts. Astronomy, he thought.

“Gooood morning, Mr. Sanders.” He said with a cheerful tone, despite his tired state. “Is there anything I can have for breakfast? Cereal, or something?” Logan nodded, probably concentrating on whatever he was reading. “Yes, of course. Grab yourself a bowl, there should be some at the top of the shelf just to your left.” 

As the young boy prepared his breakfast, he could feel Logan’s eyes staring at him. He couldn’t see it, but it’s almost as if he could just feel the daggers just short of penetrating him. Logan Sanders has a calm demeanour - if you didn’t know him, that is.

Roman sat next to Logan, beginning to eat his cereal until he was interrupted. “Roman, I need to talk to you about something.” He put down his paper, his concentration now fully on Roman. “It’s about Virgil.” 

“Logan - ”

“Don’t call me Logan.” 

“... Mr. Sanders, I assure you I have about as much experience with relationships and all that nonsense as Virgil does, which you know is practically zero. I can’t try dodgy shi- stuff because I don’t even know what constitutes it.” Roman was practically sweating bullets. 

Logan looked at him longer for just a moment. “I see.” He said simply. “I still hope you know that you are not exempt from my judgment just because of you two’s inexperience.” His eyes then narrowed, only encouraging Roman’s nervousness. “Though if I even  _ hear  _ of you hurting Virgil, in any way shape or form, I will not hesitate to make sure you will suffer the consequences.” He then turned his attention back to his presumed work, sipping his coffee almost pretending the conversation hadn’t even happened.

For the next few minutes, silence was the most deafening noise that could be heard. 

Roman, after finishing his own, thought it would be a nice gesture to bring Virgil his own breakfasts. It was only Lucky Charms, but it was better than nothing. After pushing the door to Virgil’s room, he saw him already awake, on his phone while watching a video. He looked over to see what he was watching putting the cereal next to him. He snorted.

“Are you watching the fucking ‘fingers in his ass’ video?” 

“It’s Sunday, Roman.”

He sat down next to Virgil, nudging him. “Okay, okay. But as the nicest boyfriend on the planet, I made you breakfast.” He handed the bowl over to Virgil. “Gourmet wheat bits with shaped sugar cubes. Make sure to savour it.” He joked.

As Virgil began to eat, leaned himself against Roman. “Sorry if Dad happened to threaten you.” Roman paled. “Heh, how’d you know?”

Virgil shrugged. “He’s like that. You know how dads are.” He finished the bowl, and set it aside next to him. “Guess he’s just worried since… you know.”

They both stayed silent for a moment. Then, Virgil’s hand crept onto Roman’s. “I’m… sorry if I, uh, end up doing this whole romance thing incorrectly or something - “ Roman accepted his hand, squeezing it. “Don’t worry about it. I don’t think there  _ is  _ an incorrect way. We just… go about things as normally, is all.” He smiled at Virgil, making sure his gaze is as serious as it ought to be. “It’s just, we get to have especially tender moments now.” 

Virgil laughed quietly, looking back at him. “Jesus, Roman, you don’t need to be so dramatic…” 

_ However _ , Virgil thought,  _ I guess that and so many other things is why I fell in love with him in the first place. _

Roman is Roman - and that alone was enough to make Virgil to fall. 


End file.
